The rough edges have been shaved away, but there is something admirable about the way Jimmy Eat World recovers from 2004's dreary Futures album with a follow-up that displays all the confidence and vitality of its seminal early work. Executive-produced by Butch Vig (Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins), Chase This Light is packed with huge pop moments, galloping off with the exhilarating "Big Casino" and swiftly following it with the towering "Carry You," songs seemingly custom made for action-packed pick-up ...
read more
The rough edges have been shaved away, but there is something admirable about the way Jimmy Eat World recovers from 2004's dreary Futures album with a follow-up that displays all the confidence and vitality of its seminal early work. Executive-produced by Butch Vig (Nirvana, The Smashing Pumpkins), Chase This Light is packed with huge pop moments, galloping off with the exhilarating "Big Casino" and swiftly following it with the towering "Carry You," songs seemingly custom made for action-packed pick-up truck commercials. Clarity, the Arizona band's 1999 breakthrough, remains in a completely different class, but at least you get the sense that it's making the effort this time around, despite following what is clearly a more mainstream glow. --Aidin Vaziri show less